Purpose of the Core As the central coordinating entity for the UAB CFAR, the Administrative Core serves to translate the mission of the CFAR into action. The CFAR is designated a University-wide Center within the Institution and as such is responsible directly to the Vice President for Research and Economic Development (R Marchase). CFAR has departmental status and is governed by established CFAR Policies and Procedures (See Appendix 1). The mission of the Center is to achieve improved diagnosis, treatment and prevention of AIDS by facilitating the development of new knowledge from multidisciplinary research in service to the pillars of the CFAR scientific mission of prevention, drug discovery, pathogenesis and understanding the natural history of HIV in the treatment era. Ensuring service to these 4 overarching pillars of scientific research (depicted on red ribbon diagram, left) unifies our purpose and aligns our goals with those of the National AIDS Strategy and the HIV scientific community. The Center fulfills this mission by enhancing and extending the effectiveness of groups of investigators conducting AIDS-related research and by promoting collaboration and interaction between participating investigators. The Administrative Core ensures the necessary infrastructure and oversight to support 8 research core facilities with specialized equipment, trained personnel and access to developmental research funds for over 200 members in the UAB research community. Annual strategic planning processes guide future directions for the CFAR and ensures that the Center is responsive to the needs of its membership. Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs) are employed as a critical management tool to create new, dynamic programs that align emerging trends in the HIV research community to our stated mission, in essence operationalizing our strategic plan.